Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy. Study Guide PREPARING FOR A NEW LIFE. Adult Bible Study in Simplified English. Don Raney

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1 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Study Guide Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy Don Raney PREPARING FOR A NEW LIFE INCLUDES BONUS EASTER LESSON BAPTISTWAY PRESS Dallas, Texas

2 ADULT BIBLE STUDY IN SIMPLIFIED ENGLISH Study Guide Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: Preparing for a New Life Copyright 2005 by BAPTISTWAY PRESS. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for a church to make as many copies of this publication as needed for use within its ministry. Copies of this publication are not to be sold, distributed, or used in any other manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations. For information, contact BAPTISTWAY PRESS, Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 North Washington, Dallas, TX BAPTISTWAY PRESS is registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIFE Version, Copyright 1969, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, Christian Literature International, P. O. Box 777, Canby, OR Used by permission. Identified by N.L.V. First edition: February 2005 BAPTISTWAY Management Team Executive Director, Baptist General Convention of Texas: Charles Wade Coordinator, Church Health and Growth Section: H. Lynn Eckeberger Director, Bible Study/Discipleship Center: Dennis Parrott Publishing consultant: Ross West, Positive Difference Communications Language Materials Team Writers for Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: Don Raney, South Oaks Baptist Church, Mansfield, Texas Editor for Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: Cindy Dake, First Baptist Church Arlington, Arlington, Texas Paul Atkinson, Facilitator for Basic English Team, Church Growth/New Work Consultant, Bible Study/ Discipleship Center, Baptist General Convention of Texas Patty Lane, Director, Office of Intercultural Initiatives, Baptist General Convention of Texas Nelda P. Williams, Facilitators Coordinator and Manager, Curriculum Development Office 2

3 Study Guide Introduction Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy: Preparing for a New Life T he first five books of the Bible are usually called the Torah. The word Torah is most often translated law. These five books contain most of ancient Israel s laws. They also contain the stories of ancient Israel s ancestors. These books begin with the stories of creation and end with the Israelites waiting to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. This mixing of laws and stories made Israel different from the other ancient nations. In other ancient nations, the laws were given as cold and impersonal sets of rules to be obeyed. For Israel, their laws were closely connected to their relationship with God, Who had freed them from slavery. In Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, we see some of the laws. We also see stories about how God punishes disobedience and rewards obedience. These laws and stories helped Israel prepare for the new life in the Promised Land. They can also help us as we prepare to live our new life in close relationship to God. Unit One: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1 Jesus Design for Life Matthew 5:1-16 Lesson 2 Receiving God s Forgiveness Leviticus 16:11-22, Lesson 3 Be Holy in All Relationships Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18, Lesson 4 Living on Sacred Time Leviticus 23:1-38 Lesson 5 This Land Not Your Land Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-24, Unit Two: Journeying through the Wilderness Lesson 6 Courageous Faith in Action Numbers 13:1-3, 17-20, 25-33, 14:1-10, Lesson 7 When the Pressure Builds Numbers 20:1-13 Lesson 8 Don t Get in God s Way Numbers 22:1-6, 22-35, 24:10-17 Unit Three: God s Message for a New Day Lesson 9 Making Sense of Life Deuteronomy 4:9-14, Lesson 10 Ten Word to Live By Deuteronomy 5:1-21 Lesson 11 Show and Tell the Children Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Lesson 12 How to Worship God Deuteronomy 26:1-15 Lesson 13 Choose Life Deuteronomy 30:11-20 Easter Lesson Responding to Jesus Resurrection Matthew 28:1-10,

4 Study Guide Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: Preparing for a New Life Word List Lesson 1 pagan: the worship of false gods or idols covenant: refers to the special agreement between God and the Israelites relationship: a special connection between members of a family or between friends Lesson 5 possessions: all the things a person owns classes: groups which are similar within a society because they have the same level of income or the same background; examples: wealthy, middle-class, and poor Lesson 2 representative: someone who stands in the place of another unconfessed: something that has not been admitted as being wrong wilderness: desert area where no people live temptation: something that makes someone want to do something sinful Lesson 3 community: group of people who live together and share similar beliefs and values idolatry: worship of anything other than God favoritism: treating some people better than others Lesson 4 festival: a feast or a special time of celebration Lesson 6 legend: a story from the past which may or may not be true perception: what we believe is true based on our senses Lesson 7 opposition: people or situations that are against us pressure: a feeling of physical or mental stress or worry Lesson 8 curse: to call on God to inflict injury on a person or group Lesson 9 nomads: people who move regularly from place to place, usually by the seasons; people who have no fixed place to live covenant: agreement that binds two people or groups together 4

5 Lesson 10 community: a group of people who share common beliefs and practices diminish: to cause something to lose value or worth generation: a group of people of about the same age Study Guide Word List Lesson 11 significance: important or having a great deal of meaning unique: one of a kind, different than anything else Lesson 12 Aramean: someone from the area that is now known as Syria gratitude: being thankful somber: serious; sometimes meaning dark or gloomy Lesson 13 clarity: clear and understandable coerced: to force someone to act a certain way Easter Lesson authority: the right to carry out one s plans divinity: having qualities like God resurrection: being raised from the dead without help 5

6 Adult Bible Study in SimplifiedEnglish Leviticus: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1 Making Offerings to God Leviticus 1:1-3, 2:1-3, 3:1, 4:1-3, 13, 22-23, 27-28, 5:1-6 Lesson 2 Receiving God s Forgiveness Leviticus 16:11-22, Lesson 3 Be Holy in All Relationships Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18, Lesson 4 Living on Sacred Time Leviticus 23:1-38 Lesson 5 This Land Not Your Land Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-24, LEVITICUS: BECOMING GOD S HOLY PEOPLE M any people who read through the Bible come to Leviticus with a sense of dread. The descriptions of sacrifices and rules for cleaning seem strange to today s readers. Most wonder how this book could have any meaning for their lives. Some Christians say the Gospel makes Leviticus unimportant for the Christian church. Yet this book has a lot to say to us today. It tells us how God expects His people to live. It helps us understand the rest of the Old Testament. It helps us to better understand what Jesus said and did. In Leviticus, the Israelites are still camped at Mount Sinai. They have just received the covenant from God. They are preparing to go to the Promised Land. The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Torah. Leviticus is the middle book in the Torah. It is at the heart of God s message as His people prepare to begin their new life. The main theme of this book is holiness. God says several times, Be holy for I am holy. To be holy means to be set apart for a special purpose. God s people were to be different from other nations. They were to live holy lives. They were to show the world what pleased God. As Christians we are to live holy lives. Leviticus shows us how to do that. Don Raney has a Ph.D. in Old Testament from Southwestern Seminary and has taught at Southwestern, Texas Christian University, and Mid- America Christian University. A native of Alabama, he now lives in Mansfield with his wife, Robin, and their two children, Katie and Joseph, and two dogs. He is an ordained minister, deacon, teacher, and on the Missions Council at South Oaks Baptist Church in Mansfield. His first book was published in

7 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1: Making Offerings to God Page 7 Lesson 1 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Bible Text Leviticus 1:1-3, 2:1-3, 3:1, 4:1-3, 13, 22-23, 27-28, 5:1-6 Background Text Leviticus 1-7 Memory Verse When a person is guilty in any of these, he should tell of the sin he has done. (Leviticus 5:5) Word List pagan: the worship of false gods or idols covenant: refers to the special agreement between God and the Israelites relationship: a special connection between members of a family or between friends Making Offerings to God What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word sacrifice? Most of us today do not think about the killing of an animal as a part of our worship of God. But that is exactly what the word sacrifice meant to the ancient Israelites. The writer of Leviticus lived in a very religious world. People worshiped many different gods in many different ways. Most of the ancient pagan people believed their sacrifices provided food for their gods. Many thought they had to offer sacrifices to make their gods happy. If the gods were happy, they would be nice to the people. The ancient Israelites understood sacrifice to mean something very different. They knew the one and only God did not need food. They knew they could not force God to do anything. Their sacrifices were part of their covenant relationship with God. They offered sacrifices to keep their relationships healthy with God and with each other. The book of Leviticus begins with God talking to Moses in the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a large tent which served as ancient Israel s temple while they were wandering in the wilderness. It represented God s house in the middle of the people. It reminded the people that God lived among them. It also reminded them that God wanted them to come close and worship Him. It was where sacrifices were offered to God. The first seven chapters of Leviticus provide directions in how to offer the different kinds of sacrifices. Each sacrifice was offered for a different reason. But all of the sacrifices required the person to offer something valuable to God.

8 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1: Making Offerings to God Page 8 Things To Think About 1. What is your attitude when making your offering to the church? 2. How does your relationship with other people affect your worship? 3. How can you best fulfill the act of making sacrifices today? Offering of Dedication to God (Leviticus 1:1-17) The first sacrifice described in Leviticus is the Burnt Offering. For this sacrifice, the worshiper was to offer a calf, sheep, or dove. Which animal was sacrificed depended on the person s wealth. The animal had to be one without any blemishes (spots or injuries). This meant the person was giving the best they had. The person making the offering would place his hands on the head of the animal. This showed the person identified with the animal. It also showed that all the person s sins were transferred to the animal. This sacrifice showed the person was fully dedicated to God. The animal was then burned on the altar to show total commitment to God. Offering of Thanks to God (2:1-16) Leviticus 2 describes the Grain Offering. The worshiper would bring a loaf of bread made from the finest flour. Oil and fragrance were poured over the loaf, and part of it was burned on the altar. The rest of the offering was eaten by the priests. This was one of the ways God provided for the priests needs. The offering reminded people how God provided everything, including their grain. It thanked to God for His provisions. Offering to Celebrate Relationships (3:1-17) The third offering was the Peace Offering. This was also called the Fellowship Offering. The worshiper would bring a young calf, sheep, or goat. The animal was sacrificed, and the fat portions were burned on the altar. The rest of the animal was cooked and eaten by the priest and worshiper as part of a fellowship meal. The purpose of this offering was to be a sign

9 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1: Making Offerings to God Page 9 of peace and fellowship within the pay that person the amount of money they community. It was also an expression of lost. The worshiper brought these two thanks and fellowship between the offerings to the priest as a sign of worshiper and God. repentance and to seek God s forgiveness. All of these sacrifices were a way to Offerings to Address Sin (4:1 to 5:13) keep good relationships between the people Each of the first three sacrifices were and God. The people started making many voluntary offerings. The next two sacrifices sacrifices to try and control God. They were required for every Israelite home. made the sacrifices without any real change They had to be done before any of the other in their hearts. They wanted to use the three could be offered. offerings to make God happy so He would Both of these sacrifices dealt with bless them. seeking forgiveness of sins. Sin was seen as Later, Jeremiah and Amos saw the a very serious problem. A person had to misuse of these sacrifices (Jeremiah 7:21- seek God s forgiveness before they 23; Amos 5:22, 25). They told the people participated in any other form of worship. that God did not like the way they were The Sin Offering was made to seek acting. They said the people should stop forgiveness of unintentional sins. These are bringing the sacrifices since they did not sins that are committed accidentally or due have a change in their attitudes. to a lack of understanding. This did not Jesus came to our world and became cover sins committed on purpose. the final sacrifice. Christians no longer The Guilt Offering also dealt with the have to offer animals for forgiveness. forgiveness of sins. This sacrifice covered Reading about the sacrifices reminds the sins which caused someone else to lose us our relationships with each other and something. Along with making the with God are important to Him. We need to sacrifice, the worshiper had to pay for make sure those relationships are good so whatever the sin had cost the other person. we can worship God with clean hearts. For example, if the sin had caused another person to lose money, the worshiper had to

10 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 1: Making Offerings to God Page 10 Leviticus 1:1-3, 2:1-3, 3:1, 4:1-3, 13, 22-23, 27-28, 5:1-6 Lev. 1:1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the meeting tent, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, When any of you bring a gift in worship to the Lord, bring your gift of animals from the herd or the flock. 3 If his gift is a burnt gift from the cattle, he should bring a male that is perfect. He should give it at the door of the meeting tent, so he will be pleasing to the Lord. Lev. 2:1 When anyone gives a grain gift to the Lord, it should be of fine flour. He should pour oil on it and put special perfume on it. 2 Then he will take it to Aaron s sons, the religious leaders. The religious leader will fill his hand with the fine flour, oil and special perfume and will burn it on the altar as a part to be remembered. It will be a gift by fire, a pleasing smell to the Lord. 3 The rest of the grain gift will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is a most holy part of the gifts by fire to the Lord. Lev. 3:1 If this gift given on the altar is a peace gift taken from the herd, male or female, he should give one to the Lord that is perfect. Lev. 4:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 Say to the people of Israel, If a person sins without meaning to, by not obeying what the Lord has told us to do, these are the rules he must follow. 3 If the chosen religious leader sins and so brings guilt on the people, let him give to the Lord a bull that is perfect. It is a sin gift for the sin he has done. 13 If all the people of Israel sin and do not obey what the Lord has told them, without meaning to and without knowing about it, they are guilty. 22 When a leader sins without meaning to, by doing any of all the things the Lord God has told us not to do, he becomes guilty. 23 If his sin is made known to him, he will bring for his gift a male goat that is perfect. 27 If anyone among the people of the land sins without meaning to, by doing any of the things the Lord said not to do, he becomes guilty. 28 If his sin is made known to him, he will bring for his gift a female goat that is perfect, for the sin he has done. Lev. 5:1 If a person sins by saying nothing when he is told in court to tell what he knows or what he has seen, he will become guilty. 2 If a person touches anything that is unclean, the dead body of a wild animal, or of cattle, or of anything that moves on the earth that is unclean, even without knowing it, then he will be unclean and will be guilty. 3 Or if he touches a human who is unclean for whatever reason, without knowing it, when he learns about it, he will be guilty. 4 If a person without thinking swears he will do something, whether bad or good, any foolish promise a person may swear, when he learns about it, he will be guilty. 5 When a person is guilty in any of these, he should tell of the sin he has done. 6 He should bring his guilt gift to the Lord for the sin he has done, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin gift. And the religious leader will pay the price for him for his sin.

11 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 2: Receiving God s Forgiveness Page 11 Lesson 2 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Bible Text Leviticus 16:11-22, Background Text Leviticus 16:1-34, 23:26-32 Memory Verse For on this day your sin will be taken away and you will be clean. You will be made free from all your sins before the Lord. (Leviticus 16:30) Word List representative: someone who stands in the place of another unconfessed: something that has not been admitted as being wrong wilderness: desert area where no people live temptation: something that makes someone want to do something sinful Receiving God s Forgiveness Sin is a serious problem in the life of every person. It damages the relationship between that person and God. It is also a serious problem for the community within which people live. The Old Testament clearly shows that ancient Israel understood how serious this problem could be. Ancient Israel was very concerned with seeking God s forgiveness for their sins. In Lesson 1, we saw they had two different sacrifices which dealt with the forgiveness of sins. Leviticus 16 describes a very special day of the year in ancient Israel. This day was called Yom Kippur which is usually translated Day of Atonement. Atonement means the restoring of the relationship between God and His people. On this day, Israel gave special attention to seeking God s forgiveness for their sins. God gave instructions on what to do on this day to repair the damage that sin had caused. This day was unique within ancient Israel because it was the only day of the year when the priest could enter into the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. A special curtain separated this room from the rest of the tabernacle. The Most Holy Place is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The Israelites looked at the Ark as the throne of God. Only the priest could enter this room and only on the Day of Atonement. When the priest entered, he was coming directly into the presence of God. Sin is also a problem today. For Christians, the blood of Jesus provides the opportunity for forgiveness.

12 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 2: Receiving God s Forgiveness Page 12 Things To Think About 1. How often do you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness? 2. How do you show respect for God and His house? 3. Do you ever find it difficult to accept God s forgiveness? If so, why? Cleansing of the Priest (Leviticus 16:11-14) The first thing that happened on the Day of Atonement was that the priest offered a sacrifice for his own sins. Before the priest could act on behalf of the people, his relationship with God had to be made right. Many people think God s ministers do not struggle with sin. Yet the Bible says all have sinned and need God s forgiveness. God has given ministers a special calling to lead God s people. This carries a responsibility for each minister to be sure his or her life is free of unconfessed sin. Christians should always remember to pray that their ministers would be strong in resisting temptation. Cleansing of the People (Leviticus 16:15-22) Next, the priest would prepare to make the sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the people. The priest began by taking two goats. After a special prayer, the priest sacrificed one goat on the altar. He collected the blood of the sacrificed goat in a special bowl. The priest then went behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place. The blood of the goat was sprinkled on top of the Ark of the Covenant. By doing this, the priest acted most directly as the representative of the people in seeking God s forgiveness. Next, the priest offered a special prayer over the second goat. This prayer placed all the sins of the people on this goat. The goat was then forced to go out into the wilderness. This represented the sins of the people being removed from the community. As Christians, Jesus is our sacrifice which provides

13 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 2: Receiving God s Forgiveness Page 13 atonement for us. His blood is the blood approach Him is to confess our sins and ask offered to God for our sins. It is very for forgiveness. This repairs the damage important for God s people to confess their that sin has caused and allows us to have sins. When we confess our sins, God meaningful worship. removes them far away from us. Psalm When Jesus died, God tore the 103:12 says, He has taken our sins from us curtain that separated the people from His as far as the east is from the west. Most Holy Place. Then Jesus gave another loud cry and gave up His spirit and died. At Cleansing of the Tabernacle (16:29-34) once the curtain in the house of God was Another part of the Day of torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew Atonement was the cleansing of the place 27:50-51a). of worship. This included the cleaning of This means Christians do not need a the physical tabernacle. It also included priest to approach God for them. Each saying special prayers to remove the sin believer has direct access to God. Yet from the worship place. Christians need to remember that Today, not many people think about confession and repentance are needed sin causing God s house to be unclean. The before we approach God. The description ancient Israelites believed sin could pollute of the Day of Atonement reminds us of this everything it touched. Christians would do truth. well to remember we should not come into God s house with unconfessed sin. It prevents us from being able to truly worship. It can pollute God s holy house. Very often, people come to worship God without first confessing their sins and asking God for forgiveness. They usually find it is very difficult to worship. God always requires that the first step to

14 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 2: Receiving God s Forgiveness Page 14 Leviticus 16:11-22, Then Aaron will give the bull as the sin gift for himself, to pay for the sins of himself and those in his house. He will kill the bull as the sin gift for himself. 12 He will take a fire pan full of fire from the altar before the Lord, and enough fine, ground, sweet perfume to fill two hands. And he will bring it inside the curtain. 13 He will put the special perfume on the fire before the Lord so that the cloud of the special perfume covers the mercy-seat on the special box of the agreement or he will die. 14 He will take some of the bull s blood and put it with his finger on the east side of the mercy-seat. And with his finger he will put some of the blood seven times in front of the mercy-seat. 15 Then he will kill the goat as the sin gift for the people. He will bring its blood inside the curtain, and do the same with its blood as he did with the bull' s blood. He will put it on the seat and in front of the mercy-seat. 16 He will make the holy place, and also the meeting tent which is in the center of the camp, clean and pure because all the sins of the people make them unclean. 17 When he goes in to pay for sins in the holy place, no one will be in the meeting tent until he comes out. He will pay for the sins of himself, of those in his house, and of all the people of Israel. 18 Then he will go out to the altar before the Lord and make it clean and pure. He will take some of the bull s blood and goat s blood and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19 With his finger he will put some of the blood on the altar seven times so it will be clean. He will set it apart from what is unclean among the people of Israel. 20 When he finishes making the holy place, the meeting tent and the altar free from sin, he will give the live goat. 21 Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and tell of all the sins and wrongdoings of the people of Israel. He will lay them upon the head of the goat and send it away into the place where no people live by the hand of a man ready to help. 22 The goat will carry upon itself all their sins to a land where no one lives. Then the man will let the goat go free there. 29 This will be a Law forever for you. On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must get rid of your pride and not do any work, both those who live in the land and those who visit from another land. 30 For on this day your sin will be taken away and you will be clean. You will be made free from all your sins before the Lord. 31 It is to be a special Day of Rest for you, that you may be free from pride. It is a Law forever. 32 The chosen religious leader who is set apart to work as religious leader in his father' s place will pay for the sin. He will put on the holy linen clothing 33 and make the holy place, the meeting tent and the altar free from sin. He will make the religious leaders and all the people free from sin also. 34 This will be a Law forever for you. The people of Israel must be made free from all their sins once a year. And Moses did what the Lord told him to do.

15 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 3: Be Holy in All Relationships Page 15 Lesson 3 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Bible Text Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18, Background Text Leviticus 19 Memory Verse Do not hurt someone who has hurt you. Do not keep on hating the sons of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18) Word List community: a group of people who live together and share similar beliefs and values idolatry: worship of anything other than God favoritism: treating some people better than others Be Holy in All Relationships According to Exodus 19:6, God called Israel to be a holy nation. To be holy means to be set apart for a special purpose by God. Israel was to be different than the other nations. They were to show the other nations how to please God. This meant each person was to live a holy life. Leviticus is often called the Holiness Code. These chapters contain many guidelines showing the people how to live a holy life. Leviticus 19:2 states God s people are to be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. God still requires His people be holy in their living. The writer of Hebrews wrote, Be at peace with all men. Live a holy life. No one will see the Lord without having that kind of life (Hebrews 12:14). Christians are to show others what God is like by being holy in their words and deeds. Leviticus helps us to understand how to be holy. Leviticus 19 contains many restatements of some of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20. Here those commandments are placed within the Holiness Code. This chapter shows that obedience to God s commandments was not simply obeying a set of laws. Obedience to God s commands was a sign of a person s holiness. The reason we should obey God s commandments is not just to obey the rules. We obey God s commandments because we are God s people. At the center of this chapter is the command to love your neighbor as yourself. God gave us His commandments as a way to protect the community of His people. God s commandments

16 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 3: Be Holy in All Relationships Page 16 Things To Think About 1. What does living a holy life mean to you? 2. Which commandment in Leviticus 19 do you find most difficult to keep? Why? 3. How have you shown God s love to someone that is different than you? help us to keep good relationships with all people. Most verses in Leviticus 19 deal with our relationships. God knows it is important for people to take care of each other. This idea is so important, Jesus said that love your neighbor as yourself was the second most important commandment (Mark 12:28-31). Obeying God s Commandments (Leviticus 19:1-4) The first commandment mentioned in Leviticus 19 is to honor or respect your mother and father. A person s relationship with his or her parents is the first experience with relating to other people. It is also one of the most important. Parents pass on values to their children. The relationships between parents and children are what create families. Strong families are vital to a strong society. Honoring one s parents helps keep the community strong. In Exodus 20, this is the only commandment that has a promise for those who obey. Exodus 20:12 states that obedience to this commandment will lead to a long life in the land for the community. This chapter also restates several commandments which guide our relationship to God. Verse 3 reminds us to keep the Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word meaning to cease. We are called to cease from our work for one day each week. Taking one day each week to rest gives us renewed energy and shows our dependence on God. Verse 4 calls on God s people to avoid idolatry. In the ancient world, most people made idols out of wood or stone to represent their gods. Most people in America do not have stone or wooden idols. Yet an idol is anything which takes our

17 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 3: Be Holy in All Relationships Page 17 devotion away from God. We can even advantage of those who cannot defend make idols out of things that are good. For themselves. many people today, their job or place in the This chapter also shows positive community is an idol. For others, it is their examples of what God s people should do. possessions or their service to the church. They should leave a part of their harvest in This verse reminds us that nothing is to be the field for the poor to gather. They should our main focus except for our relationship show respect and care for the elderly. They to God. should treat everyone, including strangers, with respect. All of these things are to be Loving Your Neighbor (19:9-18, 32-37) the result of living a life that pleases God. Most of Leviticus 19 deals with our All of these commandments point to the relationships with each other. These fact that God s people are to love their guidelines are designed to protect neighbors as themselves. individuals and the community. God s God wants everyone to have good, people are to have a healthy respect and healthy relationships with those around love for each other. These commandments them. It is so important to God that He tells are not simply cold laws. They give us a us we cannot live holy lives if we are in picture of how our love for each other conflict with our neighbors. If we want to should be shown. be holy, our relationships need to be holy. There are many things that we would Perhaps the hardest relationships are those not do if we loved one another. God s with people who are different from us. God people are to refrain from stealing and says we are to treat even those people with lying. They are not to spread stories about respect and love. others or show favoritism toward anyone. Jesus spent a lot of time ministering They should not hate or bear a grudge out of love to those from different races and against their neighbor. They should not nations. We are called to follow His cheat anyone or refuse to pay what example. someone has earned. They should not take

18 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 3: Be Holy in All Relationships Page 18 Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18, The Lord said to Moses, 2 Say to all the people of Israel, Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Every one of you must have respect for his mother and his father. And keep My Days of Rest. I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to false gods or make gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. 9 When you pick the food of your land at gathering time, do not pick all the way to the corners of your field. And do not gather the food left on the ground there after you have picked. 10 Do not gather what is left among your vines, or gather the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for those in need and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God. 11 Do not steal. Be honest in what you do. Do not lie to one another. 12 Do not lie when you make a promise in My name, and so put the name of your God to shame. I am the Lord. 13 Do not make it hard for your neighbor or rob him. You should not keep the pay of a man who works for you until the next morning. 14 Do not say bad things against a man who cannot hear. Do not put something in the way of a man who cannot see. But fear your God. I am the Lord. 15 Be fair in how you judge. Do not show favor to the poor or to the great. Be fair in how you judge your neighbor. 16 Do not go around saying things that hurt your people. Do not do things against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord. 17 In your heart do not hate someone from your own country. You may speak sharp words to your neighbor, but do not sin because of him. 18 Do not hurt someone who has hurt you. Do not keep on hating the sons of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. 32 Show respect to the person with white hair. Honor an older person and you will honor your God. I am the Lord. 33 If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not do wrong to him. 34 You should act toward the stranger who lives among you as you would toward one born among you. Love him as you love yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. 35 Do not lie about the weight or price of anything. 36 Always tell the truth about it. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Keep all My Laws and do all that I tell you. I am the Lord.

19 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 4: Living on Sacred Time Page 19 Lesson 4 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Bible Text Leviticus 23:1-38 Background Text Leviticus 23 Living on Sacred Time This lesson continues our study of the Holiness Code in Leviticus. This code provides guidance in living a holy life that pleases God. Leviticus 23 contains a description of the special festivals. These festivals were times to celebrate all that God had done for the people. Festivals marked special times during the year. They gave order to life in ancient Israel. Most people in ancient Israel were farmers. These festivals were connected to significant events in the farming cycle. Memory Verse Say to the people of Israel, These are the special suppers of the Lord, which you will keep for holy meetings. These are My special suppers. (Leviticus 23:2) Word List festival: a feast or a special time of celebration Remembering God Each Week (Leviticus 23:1-3) Before describing the yearly feasts, the writer of Leviticus reminds the people to remember the Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word that means to cease or to stop. For six days each week, the people were to do their work. On the last day of the week, the Sabbath, they were to stop working. They were to rest and think about what God had done for them. They had to depend on God to meet their needs for that day. Christians need to remember the original purpose of the Sabbath. Many Christians are very busy on the Sabbath doing a lot of different things at church. Many teach Sunday School, serve on committees, and sing in the choir. We all need to learn to stop our activities and rest. We need to slow down serving God long enough to focus on renewing our relationship to God. Remembering God through the Year (23:4-38) The ancient Israelites had three major festivals during the

20 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 4: Living on Sacred Time Page 20 Things To Think About 1. How do you observe the Sabbath? 2. How might you focus on God more during different holidays? 3. Which is most significant to you, worshipping God as Redeemer, Provider, or Protector? Why? year. Each lasted for a week. A representative from each family would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. Each festival had a lot of eating, drinking, and celebrating. They also included many sacrifices and focused on worshiping God. The first was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It took place each spring right after Passover. This feast celebrated the barley harvest. The people celebrated God as Redeemer. They remembered how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Each family brought the first part of their harvest and a lamb to sacrifice. The priest offered these on the altar. Fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the people celebrated Pentecost. This was also called the Feast of Weeks. This festival was held in the summer to celebrate the wheat harvest. Once again, the people would bring a portion of the harvest and an animal sacrifice. During this feast, the people worshiped God as Provider. They thanked God for the many ways He provided for their needs. They thanked God for providing them with the Promised Land. Verse 22 instructs the people to leave some of the wheat in the fields for the poor to gather. In this way, the people could provide for the needs of others. In later years, this feast was connected to God s gift of the covenant at Mount Sinai. In the book of Acts, it is during the celebration of Pentecost that God sends the Holy Spirit. After the harvest of the fruit crops each fall, the people celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. This is also called the Feast of Booths. During this festival, entire families would come to Jerusalem. They would build tents out of palm branches and would live in them during the feast. The people worshiped God

21 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 4: Living on Sacred Time Page 21 as Protector. They thanked God for His constant protection of them and their land. By living in tents, the people were reminded of how God protected them during 40 years of wandering in the desert. God wants His people to gather together to worship Him. God has set up special days and seasons for His people to do this. Most Christians do not celebrate the festivals of ancient Israel. We have Christmas and Easter when we gather to focus on all that God has done for us. We also have a weekly time of rest and worship. During these times, we gather together and celebrate how Jesus unites us in God s family. These special times allow us to take a break from our work and remember our dependence on God. Like the Israelites, we can thank God that He is our Redeemer, Provider, and Protector. Leviticus 23: The Lord said to Moses, 2 Say to the people of Israel, These are the special suppers of the Lord, which you will keep for holy meetings. These are My special suppers. 3 Work may be done for six days. But the seventh day is the Day of Rest, a holy meeting when you do no work at all. It is the Day of Rest to the Lord in all your homes. 4 These are the special suppers of the Lord, the holy meetings you will keep at the right times. 5 On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening begins the Lord' s religious gathering to remember how His people left Egypt. 6 On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Lord' s special supper of bread without yeast. For seven days you will eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day you will have a holy meeting. You will not do any hard work. 8 But you will give a gift by fire to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy meeting. You will not do any hard work. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land I am going to give you and gather its grain, bring some of the first fruits of your grain to the religious leader. 11 He will wave the grain before the Lord for you to be received. The religious leader will wave it on the day after the Day of Rest. 12 On the day when you wave the grain, you will give a perfect, one year old male lamb as a burnt gift to the Lord. 13 The grain gift with it will be one-fifth part of a basket of fine flour mixed with oil. It is a gift by fire to the Lord for a pleasing smell. And the drink gift with it will be a jar of wine. 14 Do not eat bread or dry grain or new grain until this same day, when you have brought

22 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 4: Living on Sacred Time Page 22 the gift to your God. It is to be a Law forever for all your people in all your homes. 15 Number seven full weeks from the day after the Day of Rest, from the day when you give the grain for the wave gift. There will be seven whole Days of Rest. 16 Number fifty days to the day after the seventh Day of Rest. Then give a new grain gift to the Lord. 17 Bring from your homes two loaves of bread for a wave gift, made of one-fifth part of a basket of fine flour. They will be made with yeast, as first-fruits to the Lord. 18 With the bread give seven one year old male lambs that are perfect, and one young bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt gift to the Lord, with their grain gift and their drink gift. It is a gift by fire with a pleasing smell to the Lord. 19 Then give one male goat for a sin gift and two male lambs one year old for a peace gift. 20 The religious leader will wave them with the bread of the first-fruits as a wave gift before the Lord, with the two lambs. They will be holy to the Lord for the religious leader. 21 On this same day call together a holy meeting. Do no hard work. It is a Law forever in all your homes for all your people. 22 When you gather the food of your land, do not pick all the way to the corners of your field. And do not gather the food that falls. Leave it for those in need and the stranger. I am the Lord your God.' '' 23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 Say to the people of Israel, On the first day of the seventh month, you will have a Day of Rest. It will be a day of remembering, made known by the blowing of horns, a holy meeting. 25 Do not do any hard work. But give a gift by fire to the Lord. 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, 27 The tenth day of this seventh month is the day to be made free from sin. It will be a holy meeting for you. You will be without pride and give a gift by fire to the Lord. 28 Do no work on this day. For it is a day to be made free from sin, to be made free from your sin before the Lord your God. 29 If there is any person who will not be free from his pride on this day, he will be kept away from his people. 30 Whoever does any work on this day, I will destroy from among his people. 31 Do no work at all. It is a Law forever for all your people in all your homes. 32 It will be a Day of Rest for you. And you must be without pride. You will keep your Day of Rest from evening until evening on the ninth day of the month. 33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 Say to the people of Israel, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the special supper of tents to the Lord. It will last seven days. 35 A holy meeting will be on the first day. Do no hard work of any kind. 36 Give a gift by fire to the Lord for seven days. On the eighth day have a holy meeting and give a gift by fire to the Lord. It is a special gathering. Do no hard work. 37 These are the special suppers, the holy meetings you will keep at the right times. They will be for giving to the Lord gifts by fire, burnt gifts and grain gifts, gifts of animals and drink gifts, each on its own day. 38 These are to be added to the Days of Rest of the Lord, and your gifts, both those that are promised and your free-will gifts that you give to the Lord.

23 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 5: This Land Not Your Land Page 23 Lesson 5 Adult Bible Study in Simplified English Bible Text Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-24, Background Text Leviticus 25 Memory Verse Do not do wrong to one another, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:17) Word List possessions: all the things a person owns classes: groups which are similar within a society because they have the same level of income or the same background; examples: wealthy, middle-class, and poor This Land Not Your Land The goal of many people today seems to be to make a lot of money. Many people try to add to their bank accounts while they do not care if others are mistreated in the process. People work many hours to make more money for what they think they need. Society encourages this attitude. Television commercials and programs seem to teach that the people with the most money are the most important and the happiest. God looks at money and possessions differently. God is concerned with a person s heart rather than his or her possessions. God wants all people to treat each other with love. God wants people to live holy lives no matter how much money they have. Jesus showed us this clearly. Jesus spent most of His time with the poor people or people who were unimportant to society. Jesus wanted to show us that possessions are not important to God. We are to learn from His example. Leviticus 25 helps us to understand what is important to God. This chapter contains a description of God s plan for the Year of Jubilee. This was a special year to be celebrated once every 50 years. This year reminded people that all possessions came from God. It reminded them that they were dependent on God for everything. It helped them remember God cares for all people the same, no matter how much someone owns. Like chapters 19 and 23, this chapter is part of the Holiness Code. It shows us that part of being holy is having a proper view of possessions.

24 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 5: This Land Not Your Land Page 24 Things To Think About 1. How does personal debt affect your daily decisions? 2. In what ways do you help take care of the earth? 3. How have you helped the poor in a way that treated them as an equal? Remember God s Provisions (Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-24) Several important things were to happen during the Year of Jubilee to show the people how they should look at possessions. First, during this year all debts were to be canceled. This means if anyone owed money to someone else, they no longer had to repay it. Second, if anybody had sold any land, it was to be returned to the first owners. Third, anyone who was a servant to someone else was allowed to go free. During this special year, everyone was given the chance to start over. Everything was made equal. This prevented the people from being separated into classes. It also reminded the people that everything they had came from God. God is much more concerned with people than with possessions. God loves everyone equally and expects His people to do the same. The Year of Jubilee reminded those who did own a lot that God was the true owner. God wanted them to trust Him rather than depend too much on their wealth. This year also gave hope to those who were not rich. It reminded them that God loves them and would always take care of them. During this year, the people were not to plant or harvest crops. This gave the earth a chance to rest. The people had to depend on God to supply their need for food during this year. We are on the earth for just a short time. It is our responsibility to take care of it. Sometimes we need to allow the earth to rest. God knows what we need. He is able to give us all we need. It is up to us to trust and depend on God to take care of us.

25 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 5: This Land Not Your Land Page 25 Take Care of the Poor (25:35-43) us from our sins. The second half of Leviticus 25 gives We are to take care of each other, the guidance about how we are to treat the poor earth, and everything God gives us. All of among us. Whenever an Israelite loaned this is an important part of living lives money to another Israelite, they were not to which are holy and pleasing to God. charge interest. Both were members of God s chosen nation, His chosen people. They should treat each other like family. Sometimes the situation became so bad that an Israelite would choose to become a servant of the one to whom he owed money. Whenever this happened, the person was not to be treated as a slave. He or she was still an equal member of God s people. They were to be released when the debt was paid. God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt. No Israelite was to ever be treated as a slave again. Christians today live in a world where greed causes people to mistreat others. Many people take advantage of others in order to make more money. These people place a higher value on possessions than on people. God s people are to be different than these people. We are to treat each other as family. We are to remember all we have comes from God. We are to remember all God has done for us in saving

26 LEVITICUS Unit 1: Becoming God s Holy People Lesson 5: This Land Not Your Land Page 26 Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-24, You are to number seven Years of Rest for yourself, seven times seven years. The time of the seven Years of Rest will be forty-nine years. 9 Then let the horn be heard on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the day to be made free from sin you will let a horn be heard all through your land. 10 You will honor the fiftieth year as holy. And let it be known in all the land that all who are living there are free. It will be a happy time for you. Each of you will return to what is his. Each will return to his family. 11 That fiftieth year will be a happy time for you. You will not plant seeds in the field, or gather the food that grows of itself, or gather fruit from the vines that are not cared for. 12 This is a happy time. It will be holy to you. You will eat from what the field gives. 13 In this Year of Jubilee each one will have what was his. 14 If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy from your neighbor, do not do wrong to one another. 15 You will pay your neighbor by the number of years since the Year of Jubilee. And he will sell to you by the number of years the food may be gathered. 16 You will make the price more if there are many years, and make the price less if there are few years. For he is selling you the food that is gathered each year. 17 Do not do wrong to one another, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God. 23 The land will not be sold to be kept forever. For the land is Mine. You are only strangers staying with Me. 24 For all the land you have, you must be willing to let it go. 35 If your brother becomes poor and is not able to pay you what he owes, then you should help him as you would help a stranger or visitor. So he may live with you. 36 Do not make him pay for the use of the money he owes you. But fear your God, so your brother may live with you. 37 Do not make him pay for the use of your money or your food. 38 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. 39 If your brother becomes so poor that he sells himself to you, do not make him work as a servant. 40 He will be as a man who is paid to work for you, as one who is traveling from place to place, until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then he will leave you, he and his children, that he may return to the land of his fathers. 42 For I brought them out of the land of Egypt as My servants. They are not to be sold as a servant. 43 Do not make it hard for him, but fear your God.